Car-seal



L. A. FOOTE.

GAR SEAL.

(No Model.)

No. 4 4,174. Pa telited 1160.1, 1891.

UNITED STATEs PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS A. FOOTE, OF AUSTIN, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO THE BUCKEYE OAR SEALAND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

CAR-SEAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 464,174, dated December1, 1891.

Application filed July 28, 1891. Serial No. 401,020. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEWIS A. FOOTE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Austin, in the county of Mower and State of Minnesota, haveinvented a new and useful Oar- Seal, of which the following is aspecification.

The invention relates to improvements in car seals.

The object of the present invention is to provide a car-seal which willbe simple and inexpensive in construction, adapted to be readily appliedto a car, and to be readily compressed to seal the parts and capable ofpreventing undetected tampering.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claim hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a car-sealconstructed in accordance with this invention, the seal being compressedand flattened. Fig. 2- is a similar view of the car-seal beforecompressing and flattening the 2 5 seal. Fig. 3 is a longitudinalsectional view,

the parts'beingin position preparatory to compression. Fig. at is adetail perspective view of the wire.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1

o designates a car-seal constructed of suitable metal, preferably lead,and consisting of a bar, which may, as illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, be cylindrical or circular in cross-section, but which may betriangular,

3 5 square, or any other form in cross-section.

The seal has embedded in it or is cast around one end 2 of a wire 3,which has its end 2 spirally coiled and rigidly secured within the seal.The other end 4 of the wire 3 is bent,

twisted, or otherwise enlarged, and is adapted 40 to be inserted withinthe spirally-coiled portion 2 through an opening 5 in one end of theseal, and is secured therein by pressingor flattening the seal, asillustrated in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings, and forcing thecoils around the bent, twisted, or enlarged end at of the wire.

In flattening the seal the coils are forced around the end 4.- andprevent the latter being withdrawn or the seal being broken or tamperedwith without plainly indicating that the seal has been tampered with.

It is impossible to break the seal and replace the parts and disguisethe fact that the seal has been broken; and it will be seen that theseal is simple, inexpensive, and effective, is adapted to be readilycompressed and sealed, and is capable if any one should tamper with itor break .it of plainly indicating the fact.

hat I claim is A car-seal comprisinga bar of soft metal having one endsolid and provided with a longitudinal opening, and a wire having oneend spirally coiled and embedded in the bar and arranged in the openingof the samean'd having its other end bent on itself to form aprojection, whereby when the seal is compressed the coils will be closedaround the said projection and thereby prevent the withdrawal of thewire, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

-LEVVIS A. FOOTE.

